Door for truck bodies



April 8, 1952 c, HAGERUP 2,592,027

DOOR FOR TRUCK BODIES Filed July 13, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET l 34 3 39 7,42 6 r 3 INVENTOR CARL F. HAGEEUP April 1952 I c. F. HAGERUP ,5 7

DOOR FOR TRUCK BODIES Filed July 13, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR. CARL F. HA GEEUP ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 8, 1952 DOOR FOR TRUCK BODIES Carl Ferdinand Hagerup, Juneau, Territory of Alaska Application July 13, 1950, Serial'No. 173,497

2 Claims. (01.,160-191) overhead door for the rear of delivery trucks.

This type of door was conceived to eliminate the following inconveniences of the doors now in use. The present types of doors are in the way when open, also, they cannot be safely left open while the vehicle is in motion and, in the closed position, they prevent a sufficient amount of visibility to the rear, especially for backing up.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a door which can be safely left in the open position while the vehicle is in motion. Another object of the present invention is the provision of counter-balanced doors, with full width window.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a break door that is out of the way when in open position.

A stillfurther object of the present invention is the provision of a door havingmeans for imparting a twisting action in the lower door panel as part of the balancing mechanism.

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention should clearly appear from the following detailed description when studied in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear of a delivery truck body illustrating the doors in a partial open position, portions being broken away to show the operating, mechanism.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken online 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation of a truck body and illustrating the pressure of springs holding the doors against the abutments.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation of a truck body and illustrating the position of the doors when in open position.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I represents the body of a truck, the rear of the body being provided with an opening H, and within the opening ll there is provided a pair of doors l2 and [3, each having frames l4 that are covered with sheet steel [5, the doors being secured together by hinges [6. The door- I2 is hung on the inside of the body at the top either by hinges or pintles (not shown) and it is provided with a window l1, and a rabbeted lower edge I8 that engages a rabbeted edge l9 in the top of door l3 when the doors are in closed position. The door frames I 4 may be of wood or metal and they are each provided with reinforcing angle irons 20, 2|, 22 and 23 as shown in the broken away portions of door l3.-.-The end edges 24 of door [3 are inset, providing a shoulder 25 that engage the top edges 26 in the side walls 21 of the opening H. The side walls of the opening II are provided with guide channels 48 that may be of wood or metal and these channels will be later described.

Within the door [3 there is mounted a pair of shafts 29 and these shafts are identical, and for clarity, like numerals of reference are applied to both. Each of the angle irons 20, 2|, 22 and 23 are provided with apertures that are in horizontal alignment and they receive the shafts 29, the ends of the shafts being provided with squared ends 30 and 3| providing means for.en-. gagement with a wrench, the end portion 32 extending beyond the side edge of door l5 adjacent the shoulder 25.

Mounted on the shaft..29 and between angle irons 20 and 2! is a spring 33, one end 34 extending through an aperture in the vertical .wall of angle iron 2| anchoring the end of the spring, the end 34 of the spring being provided'with'a cotter pin 35. The end 36, of spring 33 extends through an aperture in a collar 31 that isimount; ed on sha'ft '29, the collar being secured tothe shaft by a set screw 38, the end 36 being provided with an aperture that'receives a cotter pin 394v I Mounted on shaft 29 on each side of the svertical wall of angle iron 20, are collars 4D and cable 45 secured thereto, the cable extending up wardly, the other end being secured 'to a' lift balance 46 that is well known in the art.

In each corner of the body i 0 there is provided element 41, that may be an integral part of the body, or it may be a separate element made of metal or wood and secured by any suitable means. It is to be noted that the element 41 is offset from the rear and side walls of the body It. The element 41 is provided with a guide channel 48 and abutment 49. The guide channel 48 houses the bar 44, the abutment 49 engaging the front face of the door [3 adjacent its side edges and serves as a stop to retain the door when in closed position in the opening H," the guide channel 48 housing the bar 44 and the cable 45, and serving as a guide for these elements in their upward and downward movement.

In the door I3 there is mounted latch bars 50 that are connected to alink (not shown) on a 3 handle 5|, the end of the bars being provided with a bolt head 52 that engages an aperture 53 in the element 41.

When the springs 33 are assembled on shafts 29 and the ends 35 positioned in the apertures in the vertical wall of the angle irons 2| and 22, a

Wrench is applied to the squared ends 3| and turned until the proper tension is obtained, and when the springs 33 have the proper tension, the bar 44 is positioned on the squared ends 30 of shafts 29, thus holding the spring tension.

In operation of the doors, when the handle BI is turned, the latch bars 50 are pulled toward each other releasing the bolt heads 52 from apertures 53. Upon release of the bolt heads, the doors I2 and I3 will break and open completely by pushing the doors inward about four inches to pass the point of balance, this action being due to the springs 33. Doors I2 and I3 during this break action move upward due to the pair of lift balances 4B.

The action of springs 33 work in opposition to lift "balances 43 and when the doors are almost closed springs 33 gain enough lever action over the lift balances 46 to close the doors and hold them against the abutments 49 and 49'.

The springs 33 also support the door I2 which folds against the roof of a truck when in open position. The twisting action of springs 33 is least when the doors are closed and increases as the doors move to the open position. The necessity for an increased twisting action also increases as the door is opened. Lift balances 43 are able to overcome the increased tension on springs 33 because of the angle of the doors which gives balances 43 a greater lever action.

In the diagrammatic views, Figure 3 shows the doors I2 and 13 in closed position, the arrow indicating pressure of springs 33 holding the doors against abutments 49 and 49'.

Figure 4 shows'the doors I2 and I3 in open p0* sition, the arrow indicating pressure of springs 33 supporting door I2.

It can be seen that I have provided a device that is simple and one in which the doors when open are completely out of the way so that loading and unloading of'the body It] is accomplished without regard to the doors.

It will be understood that the above description and the accompanying drawings compredeparting from the scope of the invention and the together, one of said doors being hingedly connected to the roof of the truck body, one edge of each of said doors being rabbeted, said rabbets being in opposed relation to each other for looking engagement when said doors are closed, means in one of said doors for supporting a pair of shafts, shafts mounted in said means, resilient tension means mounted on said shafts and having one end secured in the means supporting the shafts, means mounted on and locked. to said shafts, the opposite end of said resilient tension means secured in said last named means, means connected to one end of said shafts for maintaining atwist action of said resilient tension means, and means connected to said last named means for lifting said doors to an open position, a channel in each side edge of said opening, said channel housing the said means on one end of said shafts and the means connected to the last named means, said opening having an abutment for engagement by the marginal edge portions of said doors, and lock rods having a handle for securing said doors'when in closed position.

2. A truck body having an opening, a pair of doors for said opening, said doors hinged together, one of said doors being hingedly connected to the roof of the truck body, one edge of each of said doors being rabbeted, said rabbets being in opposed relation to each other for locking engagement when said doors are closed, vertical supports in one of said doors, a pair of shafts carried by the vertical supports, a spring mounted on each shaft and having one end secured in the vertical supports, a collar locked on each shaft, the opposite end of each spring secured in said collars, a pair of'collars carried by each shaft and spaced from the vertical wall of one of said vertical supports, a bar mounted on one end of each shaft, a cable having one end connected to said bar, a lift balance in the top of said body, the opposite end of said cable secured to said lift balance, a guide channel in the side wall of said opening, said bar and cable being housed in said channel, said opening having an abutment for engagement by marginal edge portions of said doors, and lock rods having a handle for securing said doors when in closed position.

CARL FERDINAND HAGERUP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 784,896 Schommer Mar. 14, 1905 1,594,165 Frantz July 27, 1926 1,733,694 Price Oct. 29, 1929 2,057,555 Clark et a1 Oct. 13, 1930 

